


mother's day

by allusive



Series: pokeglobal 3 [9]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Duel (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Mentions of Death, Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:49:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27318040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allusive/pseuds/allusive
Summary: joe reminiscing about his life on mothers day, on his first visit to his mother in over a decade.
Series: pokeglobal 3 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852948
Kudos: 1





	mother's day

“Hey, Ma.” He speaks, approaching the grave he’d made himself. It’s under a large oak tree, rocks stacked on each other to create a makeshift headstone. It’s seen better days, moss growing over the cracks of it, the scratched out words from over a decade ago barely readable. Still, it’s there. Joe gently places the large bouquet of flowers in his arms in front of the rocks, stepping back quietly to look. It’s a quiet day, the air slightly foggy. He’d buried her in the forest, a location he’d often play at when he was two decades younger.

“It’s been a while. M’sorry I didn’t visit sooner.” He continues, his hands moving into his pockets in silent contemplation. “..I miss you, Ma. I really do.” The wind blows as if to answer him, the grass around his feet rustling. “..I guess I should catch youse up, huh?” He smiles somberly, sitting down on another rock, large enough for him to rest comfortably on. 

“After ya died, I.. I officially joined the gang I was doin’ stuff for. Sorry I lied to youse about where I was gettin’ the money. But ya probably knew about it, huh?” He laughs. “Ya never said anythin’ about it. I know ya knew. But it was the only way fer me to afford all yer meds… Forgive me, ma.”

“They made me do alot of stuff, after that. They trusted me. I did all I could to impress ‘em, since I had nothin’ else. It was pretty easy. Soon, they told me they had mafia connections. I was a grunt, but they promoted me pretty fast.” Joe continues. “Before I knew it, I was provin’ myself to be useful. I joined them officially. I did the ceremony when I was 18, and then.. I left. But youse know that. That was my last visit to youse. After that, I did some work in various parts o’ the continent. I was in Almia a bit, then I traveled.. I was mostly organizing things. But that changed.” 

“I was invited to Carmonte, and I got up there pretty quick. I’d been workin’ for ‘em for quite a while, and since I had no connections to anyone, I was easy to trust. It was easy to get on people’s good side when they think less o’ ya, really. It’s funny. They recommend you as the other option fer a spot, thinkin’ they’ve got a better chance than you. They’re thinkin’ of just usin’ ya as a steppin’ stool, not knowin’ that there are ten others thinkin’ the same way.”

“It’s funny, y’know. I was havin’ a real good time in the mafia so far. But that ain’t something that happens. ‘Good’ and ‘Mafia’ don’t go together at all, do it?” Joe gently rubs his shoulder as he reminisces about it. “I killed someone. Someone important to some people that were goin’ against us. They got me, and I thought I was gonna die.” 

“It took a few days fer my guys to find me. Just in time, too. I coulda died then, from blood loss.” He chuckles. “I still have the scars, though. They’d never let me forget about it. They look ugly as hell, so they sure succeeded.” 

“..But soon after, I got promoted again. I became Don Roger’s right-hand man, I gots my own hotel.. And that’s where I am, now.” He’s quiet for another moment, as the wind rustles through the trees. “I made some friends, recently. Their name’s Ionian. I call ‘em Io.” He pauses. “..And there’s Wes. He wears really tall shoes. He’s cool. He forgot about me, I guess. But. It’s okay. It ain’t his fault. There’s also Number 7. He’s.. kinda a friend, I guess. We used to play PFG sometimes.”

“..Io’s livin’ with me now, ‘cause they have nowhere else to go.” He mutters. “..I..I think I gots feelings for them. But I..I don’t think I’ll ever get to act on ‘em. Maybe we’re too different.”

“..It’s stupid of me. Maybe I am desperate. Maybe I can’t even make an actual fuckin’ friend ‘cause I’m too desperate and thirsty to get some.” His voice shakes slightly, and his face sinks into his hands. “But I can’t help it. I..I’m in love with them. Like a fuckin’ idiot.” 

It’s a dry laugh that leaves his throat, a slight gurgle as he starts to sob. “I just.. I miss you, ma. I don’t...  _ know _ how to love anyone normally.. I.. Is this what youse felt with Dad? Even though he never answered yer calls, even after how he threw youse away like some kinda disposable napkin after he knocked ya up.. Why did ya have me? Why did youse..” He wipes his eyes, bringing his hand in front of his face. He looks at the rings on his fingers, idly fidgeting with the wedding ring between his index finger and thumb. “..Even after everythin’ he’d done to youse, ya’d always hoped he’d come back… and fer what?” He mutters, sliding the ring off and sliding it onto his ring finger. 

“..Maybe I’ll never get loved back, like you.” He looks down at the ring again, the silver band shining slightly. “...I just.. I don’t know…” He pauses. “I’ll just.. Have to keep going.” He mumbles, wiping his eyes again, this time with his sleeve. “...Io’s my friend, more than anything else. And I.. I’ll be fine. I’m just.. These feelings are temporary. I’ll.. I gotta be there. For them. They’re hurting alot right now. And I wish.. I wish I could do more for them, and more for Aeolian.” 

He’s quiet again. 

“....Sorry I’m like this, Ma.” He says, after a while. “..Next time, I’ll try and visit youse with someone. I’ll bring someone special to me, if I got one.”

He smiles, bowing slightly as he stands in front of the grave again.

“Thanks fer listenin’ to yer idiot son.” 


End file.
